Ouyang Xun's Regular Script 4, Collected Sentences and Couplets from "Liquan Ming" in the Jiucheng Palace

Author: Tian Dengyue (Editor-in-Chief) / Sun Yunhong (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: A practical and rapid calligraphy learning book, meticulously refined and arranged based on the structural principles, writing methods, and practical requirements of Chinese characters. This book features a unique "Hui Zi Si Jiao Duie Ge" (Square Grid with Folded Corners) practice grid. This design was developed by analyzing existing grids such as the square grid, Tianzi grid, nine-grid, rice-grid, and Hui Gong grid, while also referencing traditional Chinese methods for folding paper when writing couplets or horizontal scrolls. After rigorous research and practical application, it was introduced to the public. The "Hui Zi Si Jiao Duie Ge" is highly convenient to create and use—simply fold the paper into an outer square grid and an inner square grid resembling the character "Hui," then diagonally fold the grid to form an "X" in the center. This practice grid combines the strengths of various existing grids while avoiding their shortcomings. It eliminates the need for rulers, allows for flexible sizing, facilitates stroke arrangement, and promotes easy structuring and layout. It enables learners to quickly grasp the structural principles and writing methods of Chinese characters, making it a highly practical learning approach. The content of this book is curated from the representative works of influential calligraphers throughout Chinese history, selecting characters to form sentences and couplets based on practical needs. Its primary purpose is to enhance learners' interest in copying classic calligraphy works and guide them to quickly master practical calligraphy skills. By combining learning with application, it helps learners achieve twice the result with half the effort. This calligraphy learning book integrates brushwork, structure, layout, and practicality, combining theoretical guidance with creative practice, serving as a shortcut for learners to enter the realm of calligraphy art.
Ouyang Xun (557–641 AD), styled Xinyen, was a native of Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan). Ouyang Xun was short and unattractive but possessed extraordinary wisdom and profound knowledge of Confucian classics and history. He dedicated himself to calligraphy with unwavering focus. Once, while passing by the stele of Su Jing from the Jin Dynasty, he was so captivated by its mysteries that he lingered for three days contemplating its intricacies.
As early as the Sui Dynasty, his calligraphy was already renowned. His letters were considered the standard for others to follow, and he once served as a Doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. During the Tang Dynasty, he rose to the position of Silver and Green Light, Director of the Prince’s Guard, and Scholar of the Hongwen Academy, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Bohai. He was ranked alongside Yu Shiren, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji as one of the Four Great Calligraphers of Early Tang.
Ouyang Xun’s calligraphy was rooted in the styles of the "Two Wangs" (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi) while inheriting the traditions of Northern Wei steles. He skillfully absorbed the essence of various schools, adept at learning, innovating, and pursuing novelty. Thus, he blended the elegance of the Southern Dynasties with the vigor of the Northern Wei, creating a distinctive "Ouyang style." His calligraphy was praised by Tang Dynasty scholar Zhang Huaijing as "master of all eight calligraphic styles, with powerful, sharp, and flying white brushwork surpassing the ancients. His works were as fierce as dragons and snakes clashing, and as dense as clouds and mist, resembling weapons in a arsenal."
Ouyang Xun’s regular script is precise in brushwork, with square and smooth strokes, robust and balanced structures, meticulous composition, and a rich, harmonious feel. His strokes are neither too thin nor too thick, displaying both sharpness and depth. His calligraphy was highly regarded by later generations of calligraphers and often used as a model. His influence on posterity was profound.
In Ouyang’s calligraphy, square strokes are predominant, with occasional round strokes. He often hides the starting point of his strokes (), moves with bold and reserved strokes (), and frequently ends with a turning-back stroke (). His strokes emphasize mutual correspondence and flow, with variations in strokes that share the same rhythm. Horizontal and vertical strokes are square, creating a solid and orderly structure, while diagonal strokes (、) occasionally use round strokes for flexibility and liveliness. Hook strokes resemble those in clerical script, full and steady. His turns are often square but subtly rounded, combining sharpness with depth.
The structure of Ouyang’s calligraphy is stable and strict, displaying balance while incorporating danger. The more daring the stroke, the more stable it appears. Although the shapes of his characters vary in length, size, and slant, with dynamic and varied strokes, they still convey a sense of extreme stability.